I certainly agree with the gist of what you're saying. That being said, I must confess that I think it remarkable that the US has gotten as far as it did culturally, technologically, scientifically etc., despite the fact that it can be considered a fundamentally religious country. That qualification more often than not comes with a developmental sea anchor of continental proportions. I guess it's a good thing the fundamentalists haven't been more extreme and numerous given their predilection for biblically violent talk, not that that is something to rave about. Anyway, that's democracy for you...
